Bib structure



Jan. 1, v1952 EN 2,580,388

BIB"S'IRUC'IURE File'd Feb. 4, 1948' 3 Sheets-Sheet J.

- Adda 122. 411

AttOLneyAM Jan. 1, 1952 A. M. ALLEN 2,580,388

BIB smucmn.

Fii'ea- Fab. 4, 1948 s sheets-sheer 2 Adela ,flLAlle mwwwd mw Attnine yaJ 1952 A. u. ALLEN 80, 38

BIB STRUCTURE Filed Feb 4, 1948 V3 She ets- -Sheet 3 awuwwlmAdda/71.11119)! www mw A iowze ya Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention is a bib of cheap and simple construction which isuseful for protecting the clothing of the wearer. While not necessarilyconfined to any one use, the bib disclosed herein will be found to beparticularly useful for wear by infants and children to protect theirclothing when eating.

A principal object of the invention is to pro vide a bib for the abovepurposes which can be used on one occasion and then be disposed of, thecheapness of the materials and construction making such manner of usepractical.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a bib of cheapand simple construction which can be adjusted when worn by a child, soas to entirely protect the front of the childs clothing. As describedherein, the bib structure includes a novel arrangement of pleats andfolds whereby it may be bowed outwardly along a substantially centrallateral line to provide a protruding shelf or ledge generally locatedbeneath the childs chin, to catch particles of food or liquid whichmight otherwise fall to the floor or on the lower part of the childsclothing.

As is stated above, the invention seeks simplicity and cheapness,whereby it is economical to use such a bib only once. In thisconnection, the bib includes a front face or ply of soft, thin,water-absorbent material, such as paper tissue, whereby after one use,the forward face may be employed to wipe the babys mouth or face beforethe bib is thrown away.

In the drawings, which disclose several forms of the invention which Ihave found to be useful:

Figures 1 through 4 are perspective views of different bibs madeinaccordance with the invention, that'of Figure 1 being the preferredform;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1,illustrating the construction of the bib, adjacent its neck band;

Figure 6 is a perspective'view of a bib of the lateral line to entirelycover the front of the babys clothing and to form the protecting ledgepreviously referred to, and

Figure 8 is a view illustrating the general appearance of the outside ofthe bib, when wornby a child, after it haslbeen stretched and bowed inthe manner illustrated in Figure '7.

Referring to Figure 1, the bib proper comprises a back sheet l0 and agenerally co-extensive overlying front sheet [2. The back sheet may bemade of any suitable waterproof material, in order to provide protectionfor the clothing against liquids. Various synthetic materials now on themarket would be useful for this purpose, and I have in mind such ascellophane, Pliofilm, or Polyethlyne. The last named material isdescribed in some detail in my copending application, Serial No.717,105, filed December 19, 1946, now Patent No. 2,550,034, dated April24, 1951, page 11, and such description is made a part hereof byreference. It willbe understood that any other suitable materials, suchas rubberized materials, or materials impregnated with liquid-proofsubstances, would be suitable, although for purposes of appearance aswell as general utility, I prefer the synthetic transparent materialsreferred to.

The overlying front sheet [2 is preferably made of a soft, thin,water-absorbent material, such as commercial tissues now on the marketfor similar purposes, although a thin cloth material would be adaptedfor the purposes of the invention.

In the manufacture of the bib, a fiat front sheet [2 is placed over aflat back sheet 10, and, thereafter, suitable longitudinal folds aremade in the sheets throughout the length of the bib, to provide apleated construction. It will be understood that the pleatedconstruction is for a useful purpose, as hereinafter described, as wellas enhancing the appearances of the bib. For example, the two plies ofmaterial are creased along opposite symmetrically disposed lines 14 and[6 to provide outwardly presented folds, as indicated at l8, and the twoplies of material are again crea ed in the opposite direction alongsymmetrically disposed longitudinal lines nearer to the center line ofthe bib to provide inwardly presented folds as indicated at 20. Theresulting construction then includes a relatively broad central panel22, and spaced underlying outer panels 24, the construction being suchthat the panels are related in bellows like manner. 1

After the two plies of material are assembled and folded in the pleatedmanner as described, a short area at the upper end of the bib is creasedor folded inwardly along the line 26, as more particularly shown inFigure 5, whereby there is a short band of the soft water-absorbentmaterial positioned against the front of the childs neck when the bib isbeing worn. A neck encircling band as is provided to tie or otherwisesecure the bib around the childs neck. As illustrated in Figures 1 and5, this band is secured between the rear face of the waterproof backsheet In and that edge area of said back sheet which is foldedrearwardly along the line 25. .It will be understood that when the edgearea 30 is folded rearwardly around the band 28, it may be permanentlysecured by the application of heat and pressure to. the rear side of theback sheet Ill, the film material of which the back sheet is made, beingsuch that layers thereof will bond together upon application of heat andpressure. If found more expedient, the folded area 3% may be adhesivelysecured to the rearward surface of the back sheet ill.

While I have shown the neck band 28 as being conveniently secured in onepiece to the bib proper, in the manner just described. it will beunderstood that an acceptable variation in the structure would include aneck band comprising separate tapes otherwise attached to the bibproper, as by bonding or adhesively s curing the tapes to the rearwardsurface of the back sheet is. The neck band 28 may be made of cloth, ormay be made of the same film-like material described as being useful informing the back sheet H3 are also narrower than the corresponding,

panels 24 of Figure l, and additional rearwardly presented folds 38 andforwardly presented folds 40 are made in the material to provideadditional front panels 42, the material being further provided withrespective forwardly and rearwardly presented folds 44 and 46 wherebythe bib inzl gude's additional outer spaced underlying panels In thismodification, and in the modifications of Figures 3 and 4, there is alateral crease 50 at the top edge of the bib to secure the neck band 28and to provide an area of the soft water-absorbent material presented tothe neck of the wearer.

Figure 3 discloses a further variation wherein successive outwardlypresented longitudinal folds 52 are provided in the two plies oft'h material, and underlying each such fold are successive inwardly presentedfolds 54 whereby a pleated structure of step-like form, from onelongitudinal edge of the bib to the other, is provided. In all otherrespects, the construction of this embodiment is similar to thosepreviously described.

In Figure 4, a structure quite similar to Figure 1 is disclosed,including a relatively wide central panel 5% defined by outwardlypresented folds 58 and overlying partially covered intermediate panels60. However, in this design, unlike that of Figure 1, the panels 60terminate in outwardly presented folds B2, and the material is furthercreased to provide additional inwardly presented folds 64 wherebyadditional border panels 65 are provided.

Pulling e opp site edges outwardly in order to.

' ly beneath the chin of the wearer.

cover a greater area of the clothing of the wearer. In all of theembodiments shown, the pleats are formed by folds in both plies of thematerial; the two plies being assembled with the sheet l2 overlying thesheet I0, after which the folds are made in both sheets, as described.

I have found that bibs of the above description may be more convenientlypackaged if they are also provided with a substantially central lateralor transverse fold along the line -58, as shown in Figure 6. This viewdiscloses a bib of the type of Figure l folded along a central lateralline, but it will be understood that the bibs of the construction shownin the other figures may be similarly folded, as indicated. In-additionto convenience in packaging, I have found that a lateral fold as at 68,either made by creasing when the bib is manufactured, or made in thematerial when the bib is tobe used, permits the bib to be expanded inthe manner shown in Figures '7 and 8, and to retain its shape whenexpanded as shown. When the bib is applied to the wearer, it is in thecondition of Figure l, and with a fold or crease 68 extendingsubstantially centrally and laterally across the bib. Figure '7, a viewlooking toward the inside of the assembly, shows the manner in which thebib maybe expanded by grasping opposite sides thereof at the ends of thelateral fold 68, and applying outward pulling forces as indicated by thearrows in Figure 7. When the edges of the bib are pulled outwardly inthis manner, the back sheet is caused to bow outwardly along the line68, provided a protruding ledge or shelf, as shown in Figure 8, general-Beneath the ledge thus formed, the material drapes down wardly in agenerally vertical direction, as shown in Figure 8.

I have found that with a structure folded as just described, the ledgeformed along the line 68 will be substantially self-sustaining, byreason of the fact that the elasticity of the material is destroyed alonits lines I8, 29, and 68, where by when it is pulled to its bowed-outcondition,- it will tend to remain in such condition. This particularlytrue of the material at the opposite points 10, where the inwardlypresented folds 26 cross the lateral fold t8, the material at thesepoints being forced outwardly by the pulling action to a position beyondthat where they are capable of returning to the undistorted positiontheyoccupied prior to the application of the p'ulling forces illustrated inFigure 7. In a similar manner, but to a lesser extent, the material atpoints 72 is forced outwardly beyond a point where it is capable ofreturning inwardly under its own elasticity.

While the outer ply I2 is shown pleated with the inner ply of materialIn, it will be understood that it is the folds in the inner .or back plywhich provide the capability of expansion of the bib to the conditionshown in Figures '1 and 8, and the retention of this condition, aspreviously described. That is, the sheet I9 is of such stiffness thatwhen the continuity of its longitudinally folded lines is broken andwhen it is forced outwardly along a lateral line 68, it will sustainitself in this expanded condition, whereby the outer and softer ply ofmaterial I2 is likewise held in an expanded condition, although theouter ply is made of material which would be incapable of sustainingitself in such expanded condition.

It will be obvious from the above that I have.

Pmfitled a bib of simple and cheap construction,

6 i of said soft liquid absorbent material presented a to the neck ofthe wearer and an inner ply of 3 said waterproof material, and a neckencircling strap connected to extend from opposite sides of said bodyadjacent the upper end thereof, said back sheet having a lateral creaseformedtherein substantially centrally of the length of said scribedherein may be made permanent by the application of heatand prasure, ormerely by the application ofjpressure. The lateral fold 68 may be madein thebib before it is packaged for sale, or a bib fof the constructionshown in Figures 1 through i might be laterally folded by the purchaserprior to use, in order to have the capabilities of assuming the expandedcondition illustrated in Figure 8.

When the bib is used by a child, and is expanded to its unpleatedcondition as in Figure 8, it will be evident that the outer ply ofsoftmaterial is substantially separated from the in-" ner ply of waterproof material whereby the outer ply may be'lifted by hand to wipe thebaby's mouth, after which the entire bib may be removed and disposed of.In wiping the baby's mouth, it is not necessary to also use the backsheet NJ, as the two sheets. will readily separate at the lower end ofthe bib as described.

I claim:

A disposable bib having a body comprising a back sheet of thin pliablewaterproof material and a front sheet of soft liquid absorbentmatepleats, said body being folded rearwardly along a laterallineadjacent the upper end thereof providing an end band comprising anouter ply body, whereby said body may be laterally stretched andoutwardly bowed to open said pleats alon said crease when the bib beingworn to provide a self-sustaining protruding ledge beneath the chin ofthe wearer, said inner ply of said band being bonded to the rearwardface of said back sheet to maintain the interfitting pleatedrelationship of said sheets at the upper end of said body while saidpleats are maintained in open condition along said crease.

ADDA M. AILEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 707,183 Thiebault Aug. 1 3, 1902860,257 Slater July 16, 1907 1,135,564 Wetsel Apr. 13, 1915 1,579,629Berkowitz Apr. 6, 1926 1,618,208 Lichter Feb. 22, 1927 1,940,596Koppelman Dec. 19, 1933 2,135,236 Koppelman Nov. 1, 1938 2,145,524 ParryJan. 31, 1939 2,174,694 Elson Oct. 3, 1939 2,425,961 Shattuck Aug. 19,1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 595,013 France July 'I, 1925

